Organically preserved microbial endoliths from the late Proterozoic of East Greenland

Diverse microorganisms ranging from cyanobacteria to eukaryotic algae and fungi live endolithically within ooids, hardgrounds and invertebrate shells on the present-day sea floor. These organisms are involved in the mechanical destruction of carbonates, and are useful ecological indicators of water depth and pollution. The Phanerozoic history of microbial endoliths has been elucidated through the study of microborings (the trace fossils of endolithic microorganisms) and rare cellularly preserved individuals, but nothing was known of the possible Precambrian evolution of comparable microorganisms until Campbell documented the occurrence of microborings in late Proterozoic ooids from central East Greenland. We now report the discovery of large populations of organically preserved endolithic microorganisms in silicified pisolites from 700-800-Myr-old Limestone-Dolomite Series of East Greenland. This fossil assemblage is significant for three reasons: (1) It confirms the prediction that oolites, pisolites and hardgrounds--the substrates for pre-Phanerozoic endoliths--provide a hitherto poorly explored but rewarding set of environments into which the search for early microfossils must be broadened; (2) the assemblage is diverse, containing about 12 taxa of morphologically distinct and previously unknown endolithic cyanobacteria, plus associated epilithic and interstitial populations; and (3) at least six of the fossil populations are indistinguishable in morphology, pattern of development, reproductive biology and inferred ecology from distinctive cyanobacterial species that bore ooids today in the Bahama Banks.     

Position of the Y-chromosome at somatic metaphase in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)

Summary A random distribution of the Y-chromosome at somatic metaphase was found in 50 patients with Ph' positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Thus, it is concluded that the positive of the Y-chromosome at somatic metaphase does not appear to influence the loss from bone marrow cells.     

Studies on some enzymes of the toad (Bufo melanostictus) testis and their probable role at the time of fertilization

Summary Glycosidases like sialidase,-galactosidase, -L-fucosidase, N-acetyl hexosaminidase and proteases were detected in toad testis. Neuraminic acid aldolase activity was also detected. The enzyme activities were found to vary as production of spermatozoa varied. All enzymes, except N-acetyl glucosaminidase, were shown to decrease after injection of toad pituitary extract and they were also found to be absent from testis containing no spermatozoa. The glycosidases were found to act on toad oviduct jelly and they may therefore be involved in the degradation of the jelly after fertilization, into smaller bits, which may be utilized as nutrients by the fertilized zygote.Acknowledgment. We thank Prof. T.R. Ramaiah, Head of the Department of Biochemistry, University of Mysore, for his help. We also acknowledge the financial assistance of University Grants Commission to one of us (MS) and CSIR through a grant No. 9 (165)83/EMR-II to HSS. Please address all correspondence to H.S. Seshadri.     

On some significance tests in cluster analysis

We investigate the properties of several significance tests for distinguishing between the hypothesisH of a homogeneous population and an alternativeA involving clustering or heterogeneity, with emphasis on the case of multidimensional observationsx ₁, ...,x _n ^p . Four types of test statistics are considered: the (s-th) largest gap between observations, their mean distance (or similarity), the minimum within-cluster sum of squares resulting from a k-means algorithm, and the resulting maximum F statistic. The asymptotic distributions underH are given forn and the asymptotic power of the tests is derived for neighboring alternatives.     

A new semisynthetic ergot peptide alkaloid: DCN 203-922

Summary We report the synthesis, stereochemistry and preliminary pharmacological evaluation of DCN 203-922, a novel ergot alkaloid of the cyclol type, which contains in its peptide moiety the uncommon amino acid L-allo-isoleucine.Part of this paper was reported by this author at the Herbstversammlung der Schweizerischen Chemischen Gesellschaft, Bern, in October 1986.     

Regulation of cellulose synthesis in Acetobacter xylinum by cyclic diguanylic acid

Cellulose is the most abundant renewable carbon resource on earth and is an indispensable raw material for the wood, paper, and textile industries. A model system to study the mechanism of cellulose biogenesis is the bacterium Acetobacter xylinum which produces pure cellulose as an extracellular product. It was from this organism that in vitro preparations which possessed high levels of cellulose synthase activity were first obtained in both membranous and soluble forms. We recently demonstrated that this activity is subject to a complex multi-component regulatory system, in which the synthase is directly affected by an unusual cyclic nucleotide activator enzymatically formed from GTP, and indirectly by a Ca (2+) -sensitive phosphodiesterase which degrades the activator. The cellulose synthase activator (CSA) has now been identified as bis-(3' 5')-cyclic diguanylic acid (5'G3'p5'G3'p) on the basis of mass spectroscopic data, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and comparison with chemically synthesized material. We also report here on intermediary steps in the synthesis and degradation of this novel circular dinucleotide, which have been integrated into a model for the regulation of cellulose synthesis.     

基于Maxwell和Simplorer的2 kW低速永磁发电机设计

针对低风速、风资源欠佳且用电困难的地区,为改善风力发电机的低速发电性能,提高风能利用率,设计了一种应用于2 kW风力发电机组的低转速永磁发电机,利用磁路法对2 kW永磁发电机进行电磁设计,获得发电机的主要尺寸参数,其中定子内径为180 mm,铁心长度为90 mm,永磁体宽度为20 mm,永磁体厚度为4.5 mm。采用ANSYS Maxwell软件进行二维建模并分析其空载和负载情况下的磁场分布,通过ANSYS Maxwell和Simplorer联合对其仿真,对其瞬态特性进行分析。在此基础上研制了低转速永磁风力发电机样机,通过对比发电机转速在256～400 r/min时,样机试验与仿真的功率值和效率值,二者的最大误差为4.47%,低于5%,结果表明该低转速永磁发电机设计可行。     

地方高校高等数学课程学习成绩影响因素的统计分析——以滁州学院为例

为了进一步改善高等数学课程的教学效果,提高学生的数学素养,以地方应用型高校滁州学院为例,2018—2021年连续4年从学生、教师和学校3个维度基于高等数学课程的学习效果开展问卷调查;基于收集的样本数据,围绕学生学习的内生动力、外部因素、学校管理等多个维度,运用因子分析和线性回归分析方法,对学生学习高等数学课程成绩的影响因素进行统计分析,探索出了提高大学生高等数学课程学习成绩的有效方案。这为地方高校提高高等数学课程教学效果提供了一种途径和方法,可为相关的教学改革研究提供参考。